Chusetts



BBlVII-S.

(No Model.) 0

G M. HOADLEY & S. A.

BRAKE FOR RAILWAY GARS.

Patented May 6,

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. HOADLEY AND SUMNER BEMIS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSA- CHUSETTS.

BRAKE FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,080, dated May 6,1890. Application filed January 30, 1890. Serial No. 388,619. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE M. HOADLEY and SUMNER A. BEMIs, citizens of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Brakes for Railway-Oars, of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to brakes for railway-cars, the object being to provide for street or other cars improved brake devices; and the invention consists in the peculiar 'construction and arrangement of the brake mechanism, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of acar-t-ruck having our improved brake devices applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line 2 2, Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A indicates the side bars of the truck, and B the yokes which extend over the axle-boxes of the truck, said yokes being secured on the opposite ends of said side bars and provided with extensions 3 beyond the wheels of the truck at each end of the latter. On the inner sides of the said extensions 3 are firmly bolted the brake-beam hangers 4:. Each of said hangers consists of a base-plate 00, through which bolts pass, as shown, to secure the hanger to the said extension 3, and a lateral inwardly-extending boss 0, which is slotted horizontally to receive the end of the brake-beam 5, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l. The ends of the said brake-beam (which is preferably of iron) enter the slots in the oppositely-arranged hangers 4. on the truck and are supported thereby, and they have a sliding motion therein toward and from the wheels 6. The usual brake-shoes 7 are bolted to the said brakebeam between the latter and the wheels 6. An equalizing-bar 8, likewise made, preferably, of iron, is supported, as below described, opposite the outer edge of each brake-beam 5, but near to the latter, as shown, said equalizing-bar having on its inner edge, at apoint about equidistant between its ends, a fulcrum projection 2, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) under a connecting-arm 9, which is bolted to the said bar.

The two equalizing-bars 8 are connected by their ends by two horizontal brake-connecting-rods 10, which rods have each a transverse perforation c, through which any convenient implement maybe passed to serve as.

a handle or lever for turning the rod forpurposes of adjustment, as below described. The ends of each of said rods 10 are screwthreaded, as shown at the right in Fig. 2, one right-handed and one left-handed. The ends of the said brake-connecting rods are connected to the ends of said equalizing-bars 8 by means of the clevises 12, two for each rod, which clevises are provided with internal suitablyscrew-threaded parts, so that said rods, screw-threaded as above set forth, may

be screw-connected therewith, and are so constructed, as shown in Fig. 2, that the ends thereof which receive the ends of said rods fit as closely as practicable around the same beyond their screw-threaded parts, in order to prevent dust and dirt from entering the clevises.

The hollow body of the clevises 12 (which are made, preferably, of cast-iron) is of substantially cylindrical form and the opposite end thereof is split or of bifurcated form to provide for receiving between the legs so produced portions of the brake-beam 5, which pass loosely therethrough and the ends of the equalizing-bars to which the said split ends of the clevises are pivotally attached by the bolts (Z. The chamber in one end of the clevis, which receives the end of the rod 10, is formed by a suitable core in casting, and the nut portion bof the clevises is preferably first made in the shape of a nut and placed in the mold'in which the clevis is cast, thus casting the clevis with the nut in it, in order thereby to avoid any undue enlargement of the open end thereof, as would be the case were it necessary to tap said nut part-after the clevis shall have been cast.

To the guard-beam K, common in oar-truck constructions, at each end of the truck are secured by one end two retracting-springs 13, and the opposite ends thereof engage with the inner edges of the brake-beams 5, said springs serving to draw said beams and the brake-shoes 7 away from the car-wheels 6 when the brakes are released. A brake-lever 14 is pivotally connected by one end to each of the brake-beams 5 by a bolt to. Each of said levers 14 is also pivotally connected to one of said equalizing-bars at a point between its said pivoted end and that to which the brake-staff rod 15 is connected by means of said arm 9, which is bolted to said bar and a bolt '1; through its free end attaching lever 14 thereto, as aforesaid. Said rod 15 is connected to the end of the lever 14 by a suitable bolt and leads to a brake-staff at the end of a car that may be mounted on the truck, whereward the wheel 6 at that end of the truck, I and such action thereof causes the adjoining equalizing-bar tobe forced more'or less awayfrom said beam, and through the rods 10 to cause a similar movement of the equalizing-bar at the opposite end of the truck, but in this case against instead of from the brake-beam, with which it is there connected, and also forcing the latter-named beam and its brake-shoes toward and against the wheels 6, thus applying the brakes simultaneously at both ends of the truck.

When either of said equalizing-bars is drawn against the adjoining edge of the brake-beam to the position shown at the right in Fig. 1,

' the said fulcrum projection z is brought to bear against the brake-beam near-its center, and it permits either end of said bar to swing more or less toward the brake-beam according to the required position of the lat ter relative to the peripheries of the wheels 6, so as to equalize the brake-pressure thereon in case the shoes or wheels should become unequally worn or both of the rods 10 be not adjusted to draw exactly alike between the two brake-beams. By the use of the equalizing-bar these possible difierences are prevented from causing any inconvenience by compelling an equal pressure of the brakeshoes at both ends of the truck and on all the wheels thereof. The whole length of the equalizing-bars may, if preferred, be allowed to bear against the brake-beam; but their action, constructed as above described, is more desirable.

What we claim as our invention is 1. Brake devices for cars, consisting of two horizontally-sliding brake-beams, one at each end of the truck, brake-shoes attached to said beams, two equalizing-bars supported parallel with said beams and engaging therewith rods forming connections between said bars, and an operating-lever at each end of the truck, having a pivotal connection with the brakebeam and equalizing-bar thereat, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

2. Brake devices forcars, consisting of two horizontally-sliding brake-beams, one at each end of the truck, brake-shoes attached to said beams, two equalizing-bars supported parallel with said beams and each having thereon a fulcrum projection, substantially as described, engaging therewith, rods forming connections between said bars, and an operating-lever at each end of the truck, having a pivotal connection with the brake-beam and equalizing-bar thereat, combined and operating substantially as set forth 3. In combination, the brake-beams and brake-shoes thereon, the equalizing-bars engaging with said beams, the clevises l2, connected with said bars, and connecting-rods between said clevises having a'screw engagement therewith, and an operating-lever at each end of the car-truck, having a pivotal connection with the brake-beam and equalizing-bar thereat, substantially as set forth.

4. The brake-beams, the brake-shoesthereon, the equalizing-bars engaging with said beams, the rods 10, forming connections between said beams, the clevises 12, internally chambered and having a nut portion 1) within said chamber connected with said beams and having the ends of said rods engaging with said nut portion, and an operating-lever at each end of the car-truck, having a pivotal connection with the brake-beam and equalizing-bar thereat, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

GEO. M. HOADLEY.

' SUMNER A. BEMIS.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLows, 11. A. CHAPIN. 

